Father Knows Best
by thegloryofspring
Summary: Gabriel returns from beyond the grave, but he has a lesson to learn.


**So, this was written for the most recent fic exchange over at the Sabriel fuckyeah on Tumblr. The prompt I picked up was clingy, deaged!Gabe. I hope you enjoy!**

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><p>Sam and Dean were both exhausted. They had just been forced to burn the bones of a particularly nasty spirit. Both were ready to collapse and just wanted to get back to their motel room so they could sleep.<p>

Unfortunately, it didn't seem like that would be an option.

When they got back to the motel, they heard loud noises from inside their room. Shouting and the sound of things breaking. Dean shook his head and swore under his breath. They both pulled out their guns and Sam opened the door. Their guns immediately flew out of their hands, though.

_"No! _Don' wanna! Wanna go _home!"_

Sam and Dean glanced at each other. Standing in the middle of the hotel room was Castiel and a very upset little boy with golden-blond hair. The boy was glaring at Castiel viciously, his eyes glowing in a familiar way. The lights were flickering and the desk lamp along with other objects were being flung across the room.

Castiel was obviously trying to calm the child. "That is not possible – "

_"I – wanna – go – home!"_ Each shout was punctuated by an increase in the lights flickering and more objects flying across the room. Sam shut the door quickly and his brother approached Castiel.

"Cas! What the hell is going on?"

The angel turned to look at him, obviously annoyed. "Gabriel was restored, but was given this – _form_ temporarily. I do not know why."

Sam blinked. "That's _Gabriel?"_

"What'd you do to piss him off?" Dean jumped backwards and Sam ducked to avoid a lamp.

Castiel glared down at Gabriel in annoyance. "He wants to return to Heaven, but will be hunted if he does so. Raphael will want to use him in the war. In this form, he will be able to." Sam watched as he glanced back at Dean. "I was hoping to leave him with you until it is safe."

Dean shook his head. "What makes you think we can look after him? Does he actually thinks he's a kid?"

Sam looked at him in disbelief. "You think he would be throwing a temper tantrum if he didn't?"

Castiel glared again when Dean shrugged. "Look, Cas," Dean said, "if he thinks he's a kid, you have to treat him like a kid. You can't just tell him he can't go home."

Castiel frowned. "And what do you suggest I do then?"

Sam watched as Dean rolled his eyes. "You tell him when he _can _go home or why he can't go yet," he groaned.

"Gabriel," Castiel said, looking down at the angry child. "You cannot return home yet because of Raphael. He would try to use you to accomplish his own goals."

Sam and Dean watched as Gabriel's glare narrowed, but the light faded from his eyes and the objects that were flying around the room fell to the ground. "Raph is dumb," he muttered. Then he looked up at Castiel, glaring at him again. "If he's bad, Michael'll kick his butt. I wanna go _home!"_

Castiel shook his head. "Michael is gone, Gabriel. And I need to make sure Raphael does not do anymore harm."

Gabriel's eyes widened and when he looked up at Castiel, Sam thought that he looked lost. "Michael's gone?"

"He fell into the Pit with Lucifer," Castiel replied before Dean or Sam could stop him.

"Damn it," Dean muttered.

They watched with wide eyes as Gabriel backed away from Castiel, his eyes filling with tears. He shook his head and started to cry. Castiel turned to them, looking utterly helpless. "I don't – "

Dean shook his head. "Dude, you just told him his brother's in _hell._ He's just a kid, Cas!"

Sam continued to look at Gabriel. "We've gotta do something, Dean."

"You do something! He killed me a hundred times over, remember?"

He looked at his brother incredulously. "And what am I supposed to do? You're the one with the experience with kids – _you_ do something!"

Dean shook his head. "Not a chance in hell, man. I've already had to deal with _you_ as a kid. It's your turn."

Sam glared, but turned around to look at Gabriel. He stepped closer and crouched down so that he was closer to eye level with him. Gabriel immediately looked up and Sam froze. He waited as the archangel looked him up and down, studying him. He noticed that even though Gabriel looked about three years old, he still looked like the Gabriel they had known. His hair was the same colour, even if it wasn't quite as long as it was before, and his eyes were exactly the same.

Sam was instantly curious. He wondered how Gabriel had been brought back and why his vessel had regressed in age. He wondered why the regression seemed to be affecting Gabriel.

"I know you," he said quietly, looking at Sam with a confused frown.

"Yeah," Sam said, trying to smile at him reassuringly. "I'm Sam. You're going to stay with my brother and I while Cas is away."

Gabriel's eyes narrowed and he looked at Dean. After a few moments, he looked back at Sam again. His eyes were still suspicious at first, but after a few moments they were wide and teary again. "I jus' wanna go home."

Sam frowned and nodded. "Yeah, I know." He paused, his mouth twitching at the corners in concern. "It's not safe for you to go back yet, Gabe," he said gently, "but it doesn't mean you can't go back soon."

Gabriel looked at him for a long time. Then suddenly he was gone and Sam had an archangel the size of a three year old clinging to him. He blinked and looked up to see his brother fighting the urge to laugh. He glared, but wrapped his arms around the child-sized Gabriel anyway.

"I need to return," Castiel said lowly.

Sam tried to stand, but Gabriel continued to cling to his neck. He realised quickly that even though the archangel _looked_ like a child, he was still just as strong as he had been when in the form of an adult. He ignored his brother's laughing and picked Gabriel up so he could stand.

Dean continued to laugh lowly, but turned to Castiel. "And what are we supposed to do with him, Cas? He's just a kid. What are we supposed to do with a kid?"

While Dean spoke, Gabriel started to squirm. He pulled himself up further and Sam thought he was trying to climb over his shoulder. He tightened his grip on Gabriel, trying to keep him still and listen to what Dean and Castiel were saying. Gabriel was not deterred, however. He reached up and started tugging on Sam's hair, a gleeful look on his face.

_"Ow,_ Gabe, stop that!" Sam hissed.

Gabriel paused and looked up at him with wide eyes. He looked hurt, but Sam knew it was just an act. He could remember that he'd used the same look on Dean countless times when he was a kid.

But _damn_ he'd never realise how effective it was. With a sigh, Sam sat on his motel bed heavily. Gabriel released his neck, but settled himself on Sam's legs. Sam watched as he frowned for a moment before a lollipop suddenly appeared in his hand. He giggled, popping the candy into his mouth and pressing himself against Sam's chest contentedly.

"We can head to Bobby's," Sam said, trying to ignore the fact that Gabriel was _cuddling_ him. He tried not to think about the fact that he wasn't really bothered by it. He was small, smaller than Sam would expect a normal three-year old kid to be, and was incredibly warm. He couldn't help but feel relaxed with Gabriel curled up on his lap.

Dean shook his head. "Yeah, Bobby's going to be thrilled."

Sam shrugged as Castiel nodded. "I will return when I can."

"Wait! Cas, how is Gabriel back? And why's he like this?" Sam glanced down at the archangel to see that his eyes were falling and he was pushing himself closer to Sam.

"I don't know," he replied. "I assume it was our Father. There are few beings that can resurrect angels. And I know of none but God that could alter one's perception."

Dean glanced at Gabriel. "If he's still got all his angel mojo, how the hell are we supposed to take care of him? What if he – "

"His powers are limited in his current form," Castiel interrupted. "He will not be able to cause you harm."

Before Dean could reply, Castiel was gone. "Son of a bitch," Dean muttered, heading towards the bathroom. After a moment, Sam heard the shower start to run.

Gabriel sat up immediately, pushing away from Sam's chest and pulling the lollipop out of his mouth. He looked around the room and Sam watched with a frown. Sam couldn't see his face, but he could tell that Gabriel was looking for something. After a few moments, he put his hand on his back.

"You okay?"

When Gabriel turned, he was biting his lip and looking up at Sam pitifully. "Cas'iel left?" Sam found that he had to bite back a smile. Of course Gabriel couldn't pronounce Cas' name – he was basically a three year old now.

"He'll be back," Sam reassured. "Why don't you lie down and get some sleep?" Sam wasn't sure if he _needed_ sleep – he _was_ an archangel, after all – but he had definitely been falling asleep before Castiel left.

Gabriel frowned and huffed. "No. Don' wanna."

Sam rolled his eyes and moved Gabriel from his lap as he lay down on the bed. "Fine, but I'm tired." Gabriel looked at him with a frown, sucking on his lollipop contemplatively. Sam closed his eyes and moments later he felt Gabriel curl up next to him. He didn't bother pulling the blankets up. Gabriel was like a furnace and he was asleep within minutes.

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><p>Sam and Dean left for Bobby's the next day. They had expected the drive back to Sioux Falls to be rough with Gabriel. They just hadn't anticipated how painful it would really be.<p>

It started when Gabriel refused to sit in the backseat alone. The tiny archangel glared up at Sam and Dean, arms folded across his chest. "No! I don' _wanna!"_

Dean sighed. It had already been a half hour and they weren't any closer to getting Gabriel into the car. Even Sam was getting tired of the phrase "don' wanna." It wasn't Dean's fault that he lost his temper – not really.

"Look," he growled. "You're going to get in the backseat and you're going to like it. If you don't, I swear to _God_ that I am going to drop you in a vat of holy oil."

Sam watched as Gabriel's face immediately changed. His eyes widened and he looked up at Dean fearfully. He arms tightened across his chest, his fingers gripping his sides.

In the next second, he was in the backseat of the Impala with all of the doors locked and the keys in the ignition. Dean swore violently and Sam shook his head. He leaned against the passenger seat, only glancing at Gabriel out of the corner of his eye. The archangel was huddled in the backseat, his arms wrapped around his knees and his head hidden.

"He didn't mean it, Gabe," Sam said calmly. "No one's going to hurt you, okay?"

There was a click and he watched as Gabriel opened the back door cautiously, looking up at Sam with narrowed eyes. "Promise?"

Sam chuckled. "Yeah, I promise." He watched as Gabriel grinned and looked at Dean mischievously. "Doesn't mean I'm going to sit in the backseat with you, though. I'm too tall."

Gabriel giggled and nodded. "You're a giant!"

He rolled his eyes. "Yeah, yeah. C'mon. Get back in the car. We've got a long way to go."

Things did not get better from there. They soon discovered that even as a three year old, Gabriel was still just as addicted to chocolate and tricks. Throughout the drive to Bobby's, a pattern emerged. Dean would look back and shout at Gabriel to stop eating chocolate in his car. Gabriel would grumble and within the next few moments, Dean would have to turn the radio off when his classic rock suddenly changed to classical or pop. Or he would look in the mirror after Sam burst out laughing to find his hair was green.

They were all happy when they finally got to Bobby's. Sam had been sure to call ahead and tell their friend about the situation with Gabriel. Dean got out of the car as quickly as he could once they parked outside of Bobby's. Sam rolled his eyes, but waited for Gabriel. He hopped out of the car with a mischievous grin and reached up to wrap his tiny hand around Sam's fingers. Sam shook his head and let the archangel lead him as he bounced forward.

Things were easier at Bobby's. Bobby was surprisingly good with Gabriel and didn't mention the fact that the archangel had become Sam's second shadow. No matter where Sam went, Gabriel was right behind him. Usually attached to his pant leg. Sam wasn't sure what to make of it. Sure, he had liked Gabriel. More than he should have if he was being completely honest. But Sam had never gotten the feeling that Gabriel ever particularly liked him.

But now Gabriel was all but cemented to his side. He knew it would make things difficult eventually, but it was nice. He had never been around kids very much. Even when he had, it was always Dean that got along with them. He was never sure how to interact with kids. Sure, he could make them feel better, but he was never the Winchester brother they liked or remembered. That was always Dean. So it was nice for Gabriel to be attached to him and so wary of Dean. Even if Dean thought it was hilarious and mocked him for it constantly.

Of course, when they got wind of a vampire nest only a few miles away things got difficult.

_"No!_ Wanna go wif Sam! _I wanna go wif Sam!"_

Gabriel was clinging to Sam's leg with enough force to leave bruises. "We'll be back soon – "

_"No! _Don' leave!"

"Sammy, we gotta go."

Sam nodded and knelt down, Gabriel wrapping himself around Sam's neck when he had to let go of his leg. "Don' go. P'ease don' go."

"I'll be back soon, Gabe," Sam said, wrapping his arms around the archangel. "Bobby will take care of you until then."

Gabriel shook his head, holding onto Sam tighter and pressing his face against Sam's neck. "P'ease stay."

Sam pulled back and looked Gabriel in the eye. "I'm coming back, Gabe. I promise."

The archangel sniffed back tears and pursed his lips. He pressed his fingers against Sam's cheek before hugging him tightly again. He murmured something in Sam's ear, but it wasn't in a language that he recognised. He thought it sounded like Enochian, but he couldn't be sure. When he stood, though, Gabriel let him.

Surprisingly, Dean didn't mention what happened on their way out of town. Sam was quiet. He was trying to remember exactly what Gabriel had said. It had sounded familiar. He was sure now it had been Enochian – after Castiel marked their ribs, he had started studying the language. He knew quite a few symbols, but had never gotten the chance to get a good handle on pronunciation.

The hunt went smoothly right up until they got inside the vampire's nest. Finding it and questioning the locals were simple. They figured that there were two, maybe three vampires.

They were wrong.

They got inside the nest and were overwhelmed. There weren't two or three vampires, but over a dozen. Dean was immediately thrown against a wall and Sam was forced to the ground. A brunette female bared her teeth as a blonde and a hefty man held him down. Sam briefly thought of Gabriel, cursing the fact that he was going to break his promise.

Suddenly, the vampire's eyes and mouth were full of familiar light and fell to the side in a pile of ash. Gabriel was standing there, no longer in the form of a child. His face was furious, but when he looked down at Sam his gaze softened. "Close your eyes, boys," he said loud enough for Dean to hear.

Sam obeyed and light flooded from behind his eyelids. A moment later, he felt a hand pulling him up roughly. He opened his eyes and Gabriel was looking up at him. "You okay, Sammy?"

"You're...you again," he replied. "How - ?"

Gabriel smiled wryly. "That's a story for later, kiddo. Best be getting back to Singer's now. Can't imagine he was too pleased when I up and vanished."

Dean stood, groaning and stretching his back. "Thank _God_ you're not a kid anymore!"

"What's wrong, Dean-o? Couldn't handle the fact that Sammy's my favourite?"

Sam watched as his brother scoffed. "More like I couldn't handle how you were clinging to him like a freaking octopus."

Gabriel rolled his eyes and snapped his fingers. Sam and Dean blinked, suddenly back at Bobby's house. "What the _hell_ happened, you idjits?"

They turned to see Bobby looking at them furiously. Gabriel smirked. "Hell had nothing to do with it, Singer. Dear old Dad decided I learned my lesson and should probably save these two morons from certain death." He looked at Bobby and Dean with a raised eyebrow. "Now, if that's all, I'm going to go have a brief chat with your brother before jumping him. Thanks for everything, boys!"

He snapped his fingers again and Sam blinked, seeing they were in a rather luxurious hotel room. There was a huge bed in the centre of the room and Sam was able to glimpse a bathroom the size of the Impala. He raised an eyebrow. "Jump me?"

Gabriel shrugged. "I wasn't joking, but if you want to believe I was feel free."

Sam frowned. "What – you – _wait._ First, why did God turn you into a _kid?"_

He turned away from Sam, sitting on the leather couch that was by the window. He threw his feet up onto the table and looked out, eyes twinkling from the lights of the city outside. "Well, Dad thought I needed to learn a lesson."

Gabriel looked oddly conflicted. He was sitting stiffly and Sam wondered vaguely if he hadn't been forcing himself to act so casually earlier. He felt his mouth twitch slightly before he sat next to Gabriel. "What lesson, Gabe?"

He turned to look at Sam in confusion. "Why do call me that?"

"What? 'Gabe?'" Gabriel nodded and Sam shrugged. "I don't know. It felt weird to call a kid Gabriel. Why?"

Gabriel shrugged. "Well, I just wanted to know what I'd done to warrant a nickname."

Sam could see that he was forcing himself to be blasé again. He didn't mention it, waiting for Gabriel to continue. "Apparently, Dad wanted to show me I want what I can't have."

"What do you want?"

Gabriel turned and looked at him disdainfully. "I _know_ you're not that dumb, Sammy."

Sam blinked. He gaped at the archangel and after a moment, Gabriel looked away. Sam was trying to process the information that not only did Gabriel have feelings for _him,_ but that God had essentially intervened to play matchmaker. It wasn't an easy thing to deal with.

But Sam prided himself in being able to take a hint.

He touched Gabriel's shoulder lightly, fingers reaching up to brush against his neck. Gabriel turned to look at him in confusion. "Sam, what – "

Sam cut him off, lifting his other hand and brushing it against Gabriel's cheek. He was surprised when the archangel let out a breathy sigh and closed his eyes, leaning into Sam's hand slightly. Sam leaned forward and pressed his lips against Gabriel's.

It was nothing like Sam had imagined (if he had imagined, that is – he would never admit that he had imagined doing this with Gabriel). He expected something rushed and hot and unrestrained. This was the opposite. Gabriel _melted_ against him. He slid his hands up Sam's chest slowly, stopping when he reached his neck. It was slow and felt completely foreign to Sam. It had been a long time since he could remember being with anyone. And the last time he could remember feeling like _this_ with someone was when he was with Jess.

The thought left Sam with a jolt of fear. He was _in love_ with Jess. If he was feeling this way about Gabriel, then that meant he was –

His thoughts were interrupted when Gabriel pulled away. "You do this," he whispered, "and you're not going to be able to get rid of me."

Sam paused, searching Gabriel's face. He thought about how Gabriel had clung to him as a child. About how all he had wanted was to go home. "What about heaven? Don't you want to go back?"

He watched as Gabriel leaned forward, placing a kiss against Sam's neck. _"Chirlan isro abramg,"_ he whispered.

Sam looked down at him. "That's what you said before. What does it mean?"

Gabriel gave him a small smile. "Roughly, it means 'rejoice in the promise I have prepared for you'," he replied softly. "It means that I have sworn to protect you." He looked up at Sam seriously. "Are you sure about this?"

He looked down at Gabriel in a mixture of shock and awe. Slowly, he lifted his hand to brush Gabriel's hair back. He leaned forward, pressing his lips against Gabriel's once more.

When he finally pulled away, he whispered, _"Yes."_

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><p><strong>Okay, so the Enochian is probably wrong. I mashed a few phrases together that I found on a website. Please remember to review!<strong>


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